Solar inverters are well known. The standard elements are: a DC (input) module, an inverter module and an AC (output) module. The DC module includes a number of photovoltaic cells that provide a direct current (DC) input to the inverter. The inverter module uses a number of electronic switches, typically insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), to convert the DC input into an alternating current (AC) output. For inverters providing electric power to an electricity grid, the AC module provides the AC output in a format suitable for the electricity grid.
Inverter modules generate heat and usually require a cooling mechanism. For low power solar inverters, providing a cooling air flow around heat-producing elements of the inverter module is sufficient. Higher power solar inverters require more sophisticated cooling. One known solution is liquid cooling.
Liquid cooled solar inverters provide a cooling liquid to a liquid inlet of the solar inverter. The cooling liquid is directed around heat producing parts of the inverter and the liquid is heated, thereby extracting heat from the inverter circuitry. A liquid outlet of the solar inverter is used to remove the heated liquid from the solar inverter. Typically, the cooling liquid provided to solar inverters is part of a larger cooling system used for many purposes. For high power solar inverters, such a mechanism is inadequate to remove the heat generated. Moreover, the integration of such a solar inverter into a cooling system on-site is a skilled task and makes the installation and maintenance of such solar inverters expensive.
The installation and maintenance of high power solar inverters is challenging. A need exists for the provision of an integrated solution that enables high power solar inverters to be transported, installed and maintained in a cost-effective manner.
Solar inverters, particularly high power solar inverters, are often located in potentially hostile environments. Many prior art solar inverters are not capable of being operated in hostile outdoor environments.